Disposable Hero Ch. 02 Pt. 07

Zilvra leaped into the fray cracking the taller in the back as it clawed Henri, these things were fast when they were close to food and she barely dodged the claw that lashed out at her. She saw out of the corner of her eye Belar thrust Henri's Wakizashi into the shoulder of the smaller Nautilythiiri that was busy with Henri, she watched as Belar's eyes danced with joy as the right arm fell to its side useless.

Belar watched as Henri swatted away a weak attempt, one she could have dodged easily and felt insulted thinking Henri was belittling her by doing so, when she noticed what he was really doing and that was tying up the left side of their foe and creating openings for her.

Zilvra was caught up in watching the two of them work together that she was out of position and shrieked as she saw Henri get clawed twice in his back by the larger one, she saw the price of her inattentiveness as she saw the blood flowing from his back, what remained of the skin on his back looked like strips rather than skin. She cursed herself for letting the one person who had faith in her down, she knew he needed to get rid of the sword it was distracting him and figured he could do better without it.

She implored, "Drop the sword you fool they are too fast and you are not skilled enough to take them."

When he whipped his head around and his eyes locked on hers she knew something was up but not what and she readied herself for anything. She watched closely as Henri swept low with his leg knocking the larger one to the ground as he stood, Henri grabbed the tip of his Katana reared back and threw it like a knife at Zilvra. Zilvra focused on the grip and watched the meter long sword spin towards her. She turned to the side and caught it near the pommel, following up she twirled to defuse the momentum. Having finished her twirl, she looked up in time to see Henri ready to strike the larger Nautilythiiri> She noticed his stance was similar to when he put his hand through the board back at the estate. Fascinated, she watched the clenched fist until it was obstructed by the Nautilythiiri's body, then she heard Henri's Kai as he made contact and watched in awe as the back of the Nautilythiiri exploded in a nearly perfect circle from where his fist made contact all the way out its back. Looking around she found its heart and crushed it under foot regardless of the fact that it was already dead.

She watched as Henri blocked the strike from the smaller one and saw Belar thrust her blade through the neck of that one as it dropped to the ground dead. She was glad the fight was a quick one, any longer and Henri would be in a bad way, her leathers offered more protection then the strange clothes he wore.

Dirzune walked up to Henri still in shock from having seen him manifest a spell that worked on the most hated undead Drow and said, "We have pleased Lloth by killing these two abominations, glory to Lloth for our victory. I tried to help but the three of you danced around taking away my opening and my spells are useless against them."

Rikton added, "The way you moved was like watching a dance with blades, it was like you each knew what the other was going to do."

Henri looked around and saw the happy looks that come from surviving a battle, he could feel his back burning and heard Belar gasp. He turned to ask her what was wrong, having no idea that his healing magic was closing the wounds on his back. Once he turned he saw a disturbance behind her like heat vapor coming off a road on a hot day, he was going to say something when he saw the shape of a scorpion's stinger. Acting on instinct he pushed her to the ground as the stinger struck him in the right pectoral, he grabbed it as it came into view. A Caluss Faer it looked like a giant scorpion but instead of a pair of pincers it had a pair of snake like heads with matching fangs.

Zilvra grabbed the Tanto and hit the Faer in the stinger, everybody watched as the blade sank into the tail causing it to rot away. Zilvra charged the left snake-like head and Belar now on her feet charged the right one. Dirzune grabbed her mace and could feel a strange energy pulsating through it, normally she would want to know what it was, but she had bigger problems and charged in aiming for the left eye. She saw Zilvra dodging and keeping the snake like head busy, they made brief eye contact and Zilvra understood that she was to keep that head busy. With Belar distracting it and Henri between the right one Dirzune wasn't concerned, she ran up with her mace overhead and struck the left eye of the Faer, she could feel the power flow through the mace and into the eye watching as it began to rot. She jumped back as the Faer roared in pain.

Zilvra saw the rotting spread from the eye and ducked the strike of the snake head and thrust Henri's Katana through the mouth and out the top of the head, again she saw the head begin to rot apparently from the sword. Belar danced and parried the blows of the remaining snake-like head. Watching a Bladesinger fight was like watching a prima ballerina dance with such grace and fluidity. She was feinting and slashing behind the head, and as she struck she saw the same rotting and began to sever the head from the body before it rotted. Dirzune moved back in to strike the Faer again striking the already rotting flesh near the eye, as her mace sunk into the skull of the Faer it thrashed about wailing like a dying animal before it finally stopped moving.

They all rushed to Henri and Dirzune began chanting her spell to heal Henri. Magic began to fill the air as she said, "Lloth your servant beseeches you to heal this warrior who has protected one of your children and help fell those you have sworn to destroy. Grant me this power in your name."

Lloth watched the battle with glee, the prayers to her had given her this opportunity. She smiled as she watched Henri lying on the ground dying. She had kept her word her people had not killed him and Death would not and could not hold her accountable as she refused the prayer of her servant. This had worked out better than she had planned, even if Henri died the Renewal would still happen and after she had her vengeance she would lead her people back to the surface and the rule of all Alitora.

Zilvra and Belar watched as Dirzune failed to heal Henri, Dirzune looked to the ceiling as said, "Lloth has her reasons, I concede to her wisdom." She was clearly dejected that Lloth had left him to die; she wondered why she wanted him protected in the first place. Was it just to protect him from the other Drow? Did he not need healing?

Belar had her own ideas after seeing Henri's back begin to heal and grabbed Zilvra pushing her on top of Henri.

Zilvra looked at Belar and said, "What in the Abyss are you doing?"

Belar responded saying, "You and he have a link and he was healing before this, now look his wounds are opening back up. You can channel his healing into him; I will help you, now do as I say."

Zilvra was about to argue when she felt a chill run through her, she looked down at Henri and confirmed her worst fear, he had to live if she was to live. She put her hands on the wound and nodded to Belar.

Belar expected a fight and when it didn't come she understood that their link wasn't severed, she also knew that Zilvra had some powers of her own. She placed her hand on Zilvra's shoulder and explained, "Close your eyes and find the magic flowing in you. Once you find it, follow it, when it leaves you focus on sending your magic with it."

Zilvra tried as she was told, she felt the magic flow but it had a current and was pushing against her. She asked, "I have found it but the magic is pushing against mine what do I do?"

Belar didn't answer instead she channeled her own magic into her sister, Zilvra felt this rush of magic come from behind her and go through her and out into Henri.

Rikton watched fascinated by the display before him, the bright colors in the auras of Zilvra and Belar, his voice echoed said fascination when he said, "Are you seeing this?"

Dirzune replied, "I tried but it was painfully bright, I don't need the sight to feel the magic flowing off of them."

Rikton refuted the magic claim saying, "This is no magic I know, if I had to call it anything I would call it soul magic. It is like they want this to happen, but why? What do they gain by keeping him alive? Belar would be rid of his compulsion? Zilvra I understand trying to save him, they are life linked. Priestesses trying to have half-demon children make the same link with the child's sire to prevent treachery. They are interesting to say the least, you should have brought them to me sooner, I tried my own spies which you caught,.You had wards put up to keep that away from me and other houses. I am too far behind to help you. This new magic could be something we could use against the Sssiks tsossus and even Rivvin."

Dirzune had good reason not to trust him, Rikton worked for Intra and such a find would have to be reported to Intra herself. She used her power as a priestess of Lloth as well as an inquisitor to hide Henri from Intra and the Council of Eight until she had answers. The best place for Henri was in the estate of a merchant house that had kept humans before and she would feed Rikton information. In the tower everybody in the city would know about Henri and his abilities.

She watched as the stinger was removed by Akordia and black venom oozed out the wound as it slowly started to knit itself closed. She replied, "I think Belar's compulsion isn't his doing, but somebody else did that. We have seen him do things without knowing but a compulsion like that takes skill and a level of underhandedness he doesn't have. You trained this family in magic so who would you say would be the most likely? As to what they would gain look at Belar and her child.At this point she shouldn't be showing yet she is, could it be that her child wants to save its sire? We have both seen Belar's magic grow and look even her child is channeling magic through Zilvra. While I would have loved to see you study them there are too many eyes at the Tower and nobody would waste spies on a merchant house."

Rikton didn't know Henri like his lover did, but from what he knew of Henri a compulsion wouldn't be to his taste. He did have an idea on two people in the Hla'ath house who would and could use one, but they were both dead so the compulsion should have ended unless it was tinkered with and that had Shynta written all over it. He shared this with Dirzune who found it disappointing that she was dead. A compulsion that could last after the death of the giver was a perfect Fuck You to the person who had such a thing; it was a perfect Drow spell.

In truth Belar's actions surprised even her, she wondered if this might be the work of her child. From time to time she would get feelings that weren't her own. Shynta had told her that her child's feelings would come to her, but after 6 months not the three she was now. It even disturbed her that she was starting to show at three months and she wasn't even in the first trimester of an elfin pregnancy. The heavy heart she felt had to be the work of her child and when she touched her sister, she felt the magic flow from her child. This only reinforced her belief that her child wanted this.

While she was channeling her magic into her sister, she kept thinking about the pair of eyes watching them. She was fully aware that this display of power would be seen as a threat by Dirzune and to a lesser extent her dangerous if eccentric ally Rikton and knew from the way he watched Dirzune that this was more than the normal alliance. With Henri out of action she would bet heavily that they would try something, the biggest wild card in this was her own mother and who she sided with. If her mother sided with her and Zilvra then they had a Drow Waltz, called such because both partners expected something underhanded. If her mother sided with Dirzune, Belar didn't like the fact that it was likely because her mother was still young enough to have more children and would want to keep her position as Matriarch. They would both wind up as little more than lab rats for Rikton at best and the priestesses at worst.

It dawned on her that her only real hope of freedom was with Henri. If he was conscious this fight would be even if her mother sided with Dirzune and she knew her mother wouldn't try anything that might have her removed from what imaginary power she had. Her back up plan was to either use the magic wands that Henri called pistols, knowing that they would make it so she could not use the words of power but neither would anybody else and she loved those odds, knowing the only person who was close to her skill was Zilvra and she would fight with her. She felt the magic slow and then stop as she knelt at her sisters side and pulled one of Henri's pistol from the holder, stood turned keeping the pistol in front of her and out of sight as she walked over to the severed snake like head and slid the pistol into its mouth for safe keeping until she could rig a way to hide it from view.

With the help of a levitation spell they loaded Henri into the last wagon and continued on their way. Zilvra taking point with Henri's Katana and Tanto on her person, her mind preoccupied with her duties she almost forgot about what happened until they set up camp. She saw Belar had set herself up next to Henri and opposite Dirzune, the sight of a sleeping Henri brought the events of the day back to her and she felt the full effect of what had transpired. She plopped to the ground next to Henri curled up next to him and fell asleep in seconds. Belar watched this and wanted to chuckle at the stupidity of her sister when felt a urging coming from deep within and cursed her child, she noticed the contented sleep from her sister and out of curiosity checked Zilvra's aura sure enough her sister aura was much brighter than before, the biggest shock was seeing the how their auras synced. Her sister was sharing her power with Henri and she didn't even know it but in the process she was becoming stronger. The sight of this and the growing desire to do the same had won her over as she curled up next to Henri as well.

Rikton who was on watch with one of the drivers looked at the three of them and switched his vision to seeing auras. The result did not surprise him seeing the auras of Henri, Zilvra and Belar all synced, what did surprise him was the sight of a small aura inside of Belar also synced. This was a surprise for two reasons, one, the aura was visible, and this shouldn't be possible for at least 3 more months. Rikton thought this might be because Henri was human and he would ask him as much when he awoke. Two, it was normal for mother and child to have their auras in sync but never the child with the sire. Rikton watched for a little longer when Alak came over and sat next to him.

Alak never one for small talk asked, "What are you planning for them?" he gestured towards his daughters.

Rikton looked at his former student and saw a very uncharacteristic hard look in his eyes and said, "I am planning nothing. They are wonderful to study, and I am dying to see what happens next."

Alak leaned in and spoke slowly making certain he was understood as he said, "If you, or Dirzune, move against them I will use what I have learned and we both know I can teleport them to the surface from here and you can't follow. I have lost 4 of my children I will not let you experiment on them, I made one deal and have paid for it with my children, cross them and remember what happened to the others in my class."

Rikton knew Alak had killed 4 of his classmates, he also knew of Alak's deal with Eilistraee, of all his students Alak was the most skilled in the invocation arts and would be a deadly foe if pushed. Rikton felt a chill as he saw Alak smile as he looked at Rikton's children, at that moment he understood what Alak meant and how he felt. Rikton was certain that he would be free on the surface and in the greatest danger. Alak had a deal with a goddess who would see them the moment they were on the surface if not now. He knew one thing, studying Henri would teach him many things and supporting Dirzune would mean his death. He had won her heart many years ago, so why couldn't he win her over to leaving those three alone.

Next for watch was Dirzune and Alak, although Alak's watch began before Dirzune's as Rikton woke his love he sat with her on watch as they talked.

He looked to Alak and said using a Drow pet name for mistresses that were favored, "My vemon, I think this story is just beginning, remember in the book it said he would have champions. If we are going to the surface then reason states he would have champions that know the surface, would it not be in good service to Lloth to watch these champions before acting? We could learn about their skills and when we move on the surface as Lloth as commanded this information would be beyond value."

Dirzune studied her love and what she loved was how he was always thinking and looking out for her and their children. She knew he would try and guide her, but a fool doesn't listen to wisdom and wisdom Rikton had. She could also see the worry in his eyes and as much as she knew she should take charge of this, she loved him and couldn't bring herself to she knew Lloth would torment her when she left this world for the next. Of all the things Lloth hated, love was the biggest offense of all; she had been taught that it was Lloth's love and the other goddesses' jealousy that cursed Lloth into her spider-like form.

Dirzune in a moment of weakness stroked the cheek of her love and pulled him close enjoying the feel of him in her arms as she said, "You win this time, we will watch and all of us will be the eight eyes of Lloth. I promise I will leave the human alone, but know this; I will not help them either. I will protect my own and if they die, it is Lloth's will."

Rikton enjoyed Dirzune's stroking of his hair, he wished they had some privacy to enjoy some nudging as he smiled remembering the story Dirzune told him about Henri.

The next two days they traveled without hassles. Zilvra was out scouting ahead of the caravan. While Henri was still unconscious and the others stayed with the wagons, Belar kept a close eye on him and Dirzune. Henri finally awoke from his slumber as his chest burned from where the stinger had entered him and unlike the beatings with the whip he had taken the wound had scarred. He tried to sit up but his back felt tight and pain came from both his chest and his back, it felt like a bad case of sunburn on the surface and dull throb if he rested, when he moved the pain shot down his back and was a deep pain like a muscle after having worked out for the first time in months.

Rikton had been watching Henri and his aura, he noticed that his magic was very weak and he seemed like he had pictured a normal human might look. He asked Alak if that was humans looked on the surface and he just nodded.

Rikton walked over to a fidgeting Henri and offered, "We think the poison has hurt your abilities and with time they will come back. How do your wounds feel?"

Henri explained as he studied the Olathni which felt like a ripe plum, he saw the look on Rikton's face and asked, "What exactly is this?"

Rikton grimaced at the delicacy before him and said, "That is an Olathni a fruit only found in the wilds and from the look of it, prepared correctly. It is very hard to get these, in the cities a plantation of these would make for a very wealthy farmer. It is used in the making of our festival wine and aged for at least 5 years making it potent and tasty, I think this is a gift from your life bond enjoy."

Henri took a bite and enjoyed the flavor as he finished his treat he asked, "What do you mean life bond?"